Born November 10th , 1697 in London, William Hogarth did not grow up in a privileged household. Unable to attend a university because of financial hardship William Hogarth began as an apprentice to a goldsmith. In 1710 Hogarth began to make engravings of his own and in the 1730s he became largely popular because of his work’s ability to engage with the common socialite. Gaining popularity with his Modern Moral Series including A Harlot’s Progress, A Rake’s Progress and others William Hogarth became widely known due to his action with parliament to ensure that his work could not be pirated and sold. These would become known as copyright laws but in this time it was referred to as Hogarth’s law, a monumental step in ensuring that artists receive credit for their work. Hogarth allowed his critical views of society to be represented and expressed through his artwork, making art for the sake of art and education and not superficial things like the procurement of wealth. William Hogarth not only cared for other artists but also cared about the common person and their interaction with art, he says “I have generally found that persons who had studied painting least were the best judges of it.” Hogarth was truly the epitome of artists as social critic, someone who was not afraid to express ideas that were not in favor of the powers that be, someone who’s actions had revolutionary repercussions in the world of art.

-- Carlos Fuller, class of '21, Hoehn Print Room Intern, Spring 2021